


i woke up in this wallowing (i run from it every day)

by thedreamsteam



Series: the dream team fics [21]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Stitches, idk what to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:55:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27039070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedreamsteam/pseuds/thedreamsteam
Summary: “Go!” Dream shouts, slicing down another skeleton as Wilbur hesitates, Tommy’s body cradled in his arms. “Go, now! Before they get you!” His sword deflects an arrow coming towards Wilbur’s head, and Wilbur nods, running, Tubbo beside him.or, Dream gets injured protecting his new friends and Wilbur decides to overthrow the entire government because of it(alt endings and oneshots start at chapter five)
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Dave | Technoblade, Clay | Dream & Eret (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Floris | Fundy, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Karl Jacobs, Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Wilbur Soot, Dave | Technoblade & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Dave | Technoblade & TommyInnit, GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Karl Jacobs & Sapnap, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Series: the dream team fics [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1913893
Comments: 100
Kudos: 934





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hi i didn't put this in the fic but like. so i dont confuse yall i imagine fundy in this fic to basically be humna except he has a fox tail, fox ears, and his hair is orange and then eveyrhting else is normal ok thank u now we can continue
> 
> title from rose petals by s. carey!!!! listened to it nearly the entire time i was writing this oops
> 
> dedicated to lance bc they’re the whole reason this has a second chapter oops!!!!!

“Go!” Dream shouts, slicing down another skeleton as Wilbur hesitates, Tommy’s body cradled in his arms. “Go, now! Before they get you!” His sword deflects an arrow coming towards Wilbur’s head, and Wilbur nods, running, Tubbo beside him.

They couldn’t speak, could only follow each other in the near darkness of the night, and Wilbur is scared. He’s never been scared. His life growing up was easy, and sure, he was worried when he started this whole mess, this whole fucking war, but he was never _scared_. He’s scared now, though.

What if Dream dies? What if they come back as soon as the sun hits the top of the trees, and find his body laying on the ground, with nothing beside it? What if they find out the other side took his body and burned it so that they couldn’t have a proper burial? What if something happens to him, and they never find out if he’s dead or alive?

He’s so fucking scared of tonight, because although Dream was just his enemy the other day, they’re friends now, and he doesn’t want him to _die_.

“Fuck.” He mutters, and he hopes Tubbo will just chalk it up to the fact that he’s carrying Tommy, and not figure out that he’s thinking about Dream dying.

The base comes into view, and he could nearly cry with joy as Tubbo bangs on the door, them waiting anxiously, Wilbur shifting on his feet as he waits for the door to open. His arms ache, the blood smeared on them, and he shifts his grip on Tommy just as the door opens, Fundy’s eyes wide.

“Shit.” The man breathes, holding the door open as the two boys rush inside. “What even happened?”

“Zombies.” Wilbur calls back as he rushes towards the med-bay, muttering a quick apology to the boy in his arms when he hears him groan. “Then the skeletons came, and I don’t know what else would be there by now.”

“What do you mean ‘there’?” Fundy asks, moving to be on the other side of the bed as Wilbur sets the boy down. “Where is ‘there’?”

“Where we got ambushed.” Wilbur stands up, his sword sliding into place on his back. “They ambushed us, and then they injured us, and then the mobs came, and we only just got out of there, because of _Dream_. ”

“What is 'there', Wilbur?” Fundy asks, eyes searching, and Wilbur shakes his head, not wanting to answer, but he knows he has too.

“He’s still there, in the forest with all the mobs, Fundy.” He turns his wrists a certain way and gasps in pain, but grips it with his hand as he stares at Fundy. “I need to go help.”

“You can’t.” Fundy shakes his head, hand reaching out to grab Wilbur’s own when the man tires to move, to leave. “It’s too dangerous, okay? It’s dangerous, and you _know_ that. You saw all the mobs out, and if Dream could, you know he’d be telling you not to go.” He looks at Wilbur, and he must see something, because he speaks softly, voice sounding as if he’s been told this before. “He wouldn’t want you to die trying to save him.”

Wilbur’s shoulders droop at that, and he nods, hands reaching up to take the armor off. They clatter on the ground, resting beside the chests.

“Go change in your room, alright? Come back, and I’ll stitch you up, and we’ll wait for Dream, okay?” Wilbur nods, and Fundy doesn’t start until he’s sure Wilbur has left the room. It’s only then that he turns back to Tommy, sighing as he pulls out the bandages. “Oh, Tommy, what will we do now?”

-

Wilbur sits on the edge of Tommy’s bed, and he nearly misses the weak knock on the door. It’s faint, and he thinks as he walks over that it’s just the wind, randomly hitting, but he checks, just in case. As he opens the door, though, he realizes it can’t have been the wind, can’t have been any branches knocking on the door, because none of the trees are close enough. If he had wanted to wonder if it was something else, he got his answer quick enough, the body dropping into his arms giving him an answer soon enough.

“Wilbur,” The man gasps, and Wilbur kicks the door shut, locking it before he adjusts the man in his arms. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” He says, and picks Dream up quickly, the dripping of blood alerting him to a problem. “Fuck, Dream, just hold on, okay?” He runs as fast as he dares, and the blood drips onto his pants, drips onto his hands, drips everywhere, and he would make a joke or complain normally, but not now.

He skids into the medbay, and as he puts the man down on a bed, he yells. “FUNDY!” His voice nearly _echoes_ , panic laced in the edges, and he hears the sound of footsteps as the man appears, tail swishing behind him as Tubbo follows behind. His mouth opens, presumably to ask why Wilbur yelled, but he sees the moment that Fundy’s eyes land on Dream, because he sees the way his mouth drops and his expression darkens, nearly looking like he would kill whoever hurt Dream.

“Shit,” Fundy curses, and Wilbur moves as the man rushes over, searching in the chests. “Wilbur, can you get his armor and top layer off?”

Wilbur nods, pulling everything off as quickly as he can, muttering an apology to Dream as he hears the groan. He’s forced to cut Dream’s cloak, and he silently promises to buy the man another as he pulls it off of him, leaving the man in his shirt and jeans, looking strangely _small_.

“Is there anything else you need me to do?” Wilbur asks, and Tubbo hovers by, watching.

“Would you mind holding him down?” Tubbos eyes widen, and Wilbur nods, moving to the other side of the man. His hands hover, and Fundy brings them down to his legs, putting one on each. “His ankle’s broken, and I need to set it before he can worsen it, because he’s broken it enough from walking on it all this way.” 

“Ok,” Wilbur nods, hands ready, and he doesn’t even know Dream’s still _awake_ , not until he sees the man grips the sheets. “Shit, wait.” He curses, and grabs Dream’s belt, something he’s thankful he thought to take off, bending it and putting it in Dream’s mouth. “Bite down on this, alright?”

Dream nods, and once Wilbur’s back in place, Fundy starts, hands moving, and it’s happened before he knows it, a crack echoing through the air and the sound of screaming filling it in. He sees Tommy wake up in the other bed, eyes searching, and they find Dream as Fundy moves up, grabbing Dream’s shoulder.

“Shit,” Wilbur breathes, and he realizes Dream’s wrist is broken as well when Fundy grabs a splint, grabbing the bandage and wrapping it around his wrist, securing it as Dream’s tears stream down his face.

“I’m sorry, Dream, but I’ll be done soon enough, alright?” He tells him, trying to reassure him, but Dream shakes his head, a sob nearly coming out. Fundy grabs his belt, taking it out gently.

“Th-there’s an arrowhead in my stomach,” He gasps, and Wilbur’s breathing nearly stops as he listens. “Another arrow got me, and both of them are still in my stomach, but there’s still wood at the end of th-them.” His voice breaks near the end, but he continues on, and Wilbur can see him trying, trying to get the words out before he breaks. “There’s a stab wound in-” He stops, head turning to the side, and instead pulls his shirt up instead, showing that instead of speaking, and just, _fuck_.

They can see the arrows clear as day, the ends broken off and sticking out, and that’s not even the worst part of his stomach. A stab wound is in his side, blood dripping down the side, and they can nearly see his insides. It’s horrible, and it’s disgusting, and it’s only when Wilbur looks back up, horrified, that he finally registers the fact that Dream’s face is a bloody mess, his mask gone.

“Fuck, Dream, your mask,” Is all he manages to say, shock filling his body, and Dream lightly curses as he realizes this as well, his hand coming up to rest on the side of his face. The blonde causes, the blood starting to fall into his hair, and if Wilbur isn’t wrong, he can see a slice going down Dream’s face, and he just wonders when the fuck did that happen?

“Wilbur, can you please help Tommy and Tubbo to their rooms while I try to help Dream?” Fundy asks, and his voice is nearly calm, but at the end, Wilbur can hear the panic lacing his voice, can hear him nearly break, so he nods, quickly walking over to Tommy’s bed, and he knows it would take longer to let Tommy walk, so he picks the boy up, ignoring his protests as him and Tubbo leave the room as quickly as they can. (And if he isn’t wrong, he thinks he can hear the beginning of a sob from Dream as they leave.)

As soon as he sets Tommy down, the boy is struggling up, staring at him, confusion in his eyes. 

“What the fuck happened?” Tommy asks, and when they quiet, they can hear the faint sound of Dream crying.

“What do you remember?” Wilbur asks in response, and Tommy glares, for less than a second, before he averts his eyes, looking down at his hands in his lap, messing with his fingers.

“I remember Schlatt coming out of nowhere, along with George, and I remember the zombies, and then it’s all a haze after that, and then I think once you started running I passed out.” Tommy tells him, and Wilbur sighs, crossing his arms.

“Dream stayed behind, to fight off the mobs so that we could get away.” He says softly, and Tommy’s expression turns from one of confusion to one of nearly anger, but Wilbur knows it’s not aimed at him.

“That dumbass!” Tommy says, “Why would he do that?”

“Because he loves us.” Tubbo speaks up before Wilbur can scramble for an answer, and when they both look at him, he shrugs. “What? Don’t act like you don’t see it.”

“I don’t.” Tommy says, crossing his arms, and Tubbo sighs.

“When was the last time you can remember ever seeing him with people who he actually treated nicely? Specifically with _kids_.” Tubbo asks, and Tommy nearly laughs.

“Easy. George.” Tubbo gives a fake glare for a second, shaking his head.

“Dude, I mean, when was the last time you saw him treat someone nice? When was the last time you saw him save someone? When was the last time you heard something nice come out his mouth, and it didn’t have to do with us?” 

Tommy’s mouth opens, a response ready on the tip of tongue, but when his brain catches up, he falters, mouth closing slightly. His brain is scrambling, looking for something, but he can’t find anything to even help him. Wilbur’s the same beside him, brain searching for a memory, a letter, _something_ , but it’s finding nothing.

“I’ve only ever seen him treat you two nicely.” Wilbur finally says beside him, “And Sapnap, the rare occasions that I’ve seen them without George, but he isn’t here.”

“Yeah,” Tommy nods in agreement, and they fall in silence again, until Tommy speaks, voice soft. “Fuck. Guess he does love us.”

“Yeah you dumbass.” Tubbo says, but there’s no heat behind his words, and he’s smiling when Tommy looks up at him.

They fall into the silence again, and slowly, the two boys fall asleep, Tubbo moving over to the bed and Tommy crawling up on it until they’ve passed out leaning against each other, comfortable. It’s cute, Wilbur will admit, and he pulls a cover up over the boys before leaving the room, turning the light off as he goes.

When he arrives back at the medbay, Dream’s passed out on the bed again, and Fundy’s gloves are red, with too much blood on them as he drops them into the trash can.

“Is he okay?” Wilbur asks, waiting, not wanting to enter the area until Fundy gives him permission. Fundy looks at him with a tired expression, and gestures to the third bed, the one that hasn’t been occupied that night, and they both sit on it together, sitting across from each other.

“He will be.” Fundy’s tail swishes in the air behind him as they sit tiredly, the silence comfortable.

“Do you want me to stay with him?” Wilbur asks, and they both look over at the man, and Wilbur watches the gentle movement of his chest, watching for his breathing. His shirt moves with it, and his hair flutters as he breathes, in and out, in and out.

“If you don’t mind.” Fundy finally responds a moment later, and Wilbur turns back to the man, hearing the tiredness in his voice.

“Go and sleep, alright? I know you must be exhausted, and I’ll watch over him.” He says, resting a hand on Fundy’s shoulder.

“Ok,” Fundy yawns, turning to the side to get up. “Wake me up if he gets worse, though, alright?”

“I will.” Wilbur stands up as well, and pulls him into a hug once they’re both standing, only letting go once Fundy does so, wishing him a goodnight as he watches him walk away.

Once the sound of a door closing hits his ears, he turns back to the man in the bed, a gentle sound of breathing hitting his ears, and he sighs softly, moving to rest on the ground beside the bed, leaning his head on the side.

“Please don’t die.” He whispers, and for once, he hopes this is the wish that comes true.

-

When Dream wakes up, Wilbur knows it easily. He doesn’t know if it’s because of the grip on his hand or because of the way his breathing changes or the way that Dream’s arm moves or what, but he can tell Dream’s awake easily, and he says his name softly, waiting.

“Wilbur?” Dream’s voice is rough, rougher than from earlier, and Wilbur inwardly winces, filing that question away for later. He struggles up, pushing himself into a sitting position, and Wilbur moves as well, changing from sitting on the floor to sitting near Dream on his bed.

“Yes?” He responds, wondering if Dream wanted something.

“Are they okay?” He asks, and Wilbur doesn’t even need to ask who ‘they’ are.

“Yeah. They’re asleep in Tubbo’s room right now.” He tells him, and Dream relaxes at that, leaning his head back. 

“Are you okay?” Dream grips his hand a tiny bit tighter, and Wilbur nods, smiling.

“I am, promise.” Dream nods, and they sit in the silence, and Wilbur nearly thinks that Dream is asleep again before the man speaks.

“I’m sorry, about letting them get hurt.” His voice is nearly a whisper, and he sounds so sad. “I didn’t know they were going to be there, and I thought we were just going to have fun, and I didn’t protect them in time, and-”

“ _Dream_ ,” Wilbur interrupts, and Dream looks up at him with tears in his eyes. “It’s not your fault, okay? If anything, it’s my fault, but we aren’t blaming anyone. It’s not your fault, at all.”

“But it is! It is my fault! I should’ve heard them coming! I should’ve heard their fucking footsteps, and I should’ve heard them talking, and I should’ve blocked faster! It’s my fault Tommy’s hurt, Wilbur! Mine! No one else’s! I was in front of him, I should’ve protected him, but I failed at that simple thing, so what else can I fail?” His voice breaks and his arms wrap around himself, as if he’s trying to protect himself from something, but Wilbur doesn’t know what.

“Dream, no,” Wilbur says, but he doesn’t know what else to say, doesn’t know how to comfort the blonde crying in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” Dream chokes out, and when Wilbur offers his arms, Dream wraps his arms around him, crying into his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to make you guys get hurt, and I don’t want you to _hate_ me.”

“We don’t hate you, Dream.” Wilbur tells him softly, “I swear we don’t. We were only worried about you the entire time you were out, alright? We were worried you would _die_ , and that’s all that we could think about.”

“I didn’t mean to make you worried either!” Dream cries, and Wilbur nearly panics.

“Dream, it’s okay! It’s okay!” He tells him, gripping him tighter. “Please, it’s okay. That just shows that we love you, alright? You don’t need to feel bad about making us worried, because we _wanted_ to worry. We wanted to wonder where you were, okay? Please don’t feel bad about this.”

“Okay,” Dream responds a moment later, and he wipes his eyes behind Wilbur’s back as the man sighs internally. “I’m sorry, though. Really.”

“It’s okay.” Wilbur tells him, but Dream isn’t done.

“I just love you guys so much, and I feel so bad that y’all nearly died, and it would’ve been my fault.” He shakes his head and rests it back on Wilbur’s shoulder, and WIlbur just holds him. “I’m sorry you’re being forced to listen to all of this. I bet you wouldn’t if you could, huh?” He tries to laugh, but it comes out sounding as if he’s crying, and Wilbur’s heart clenches.

He pulls back, gently pulling Dream off of him to look him in the face. “I wouldn’t change this for the world.” He says this softly, and Dream’s eyes search his face, looking for a sign, and he must find what he’s looking for (or maybe not find it at all) because he dives back on him, wrapping his arms around him once again.

“I love you,” Dream nearly sobs into his shoulder, and he wraps his arms around him again, holding him close.

“I love you too, Dream,” He says gently, and Dream just nearly sobs in his shoulder.

They stay together like this, and Wilbur doesn’t let go until he feels a heavy weight on his shoulder, and he pulls the man back gently, slowly, and he finds that Dream’s asleep, again. He must’ve cried himself to sleep, and his heart clenches at that thought as he gently puts the man down.

“Sleep well.” He whispers, pulling the covers back up, and he moves back to the ground, leaning against the drawer.

He’s left with only his thoughts this time, and god, what a fucking _idiot_ he is. He should’ve known that Dream would panic once he woke up, he should’ve known that Dream would blame himself, because have you seen this man? Dream could be called many things, but selfish is not one of them. He’d die for someone else to live, and he has, many times, more than Wilbur could remember, and that’s more concerning than he realized. 

But Dream is not a selfish man, not even close. He’s fought for men more times than Wilbur can count, has defended people he didn’t even know to the death nearly, has given away food to people who needed it and given away anything people asked for. So of course he would blame himself, of course. He helps people all the time, gets hurt for them all the time, but once someone is hurt because of him, for him, he panics. So this should’ve been expected.

But it hasn’t happened in a while. Nothing interesting has happened lately, not in the last month, and Wilbur had nearly forgotten this side of Dream until tonight. The memories are coming back now, in full force, and he’s wondering how he ever forgot them.

Shit. That’s the only thought running through his head, and he mumbles a curse out loud, thinking now about how he could’ve handled the situation with Dream better. There are a thousand better ways it could’ve gone, a thousand ways he could’ve made it better, but shit, he doesn’t need to think about that _now_. He needs to move on, for now, at least.

He yawns, shaking his head before he’s even finished. No, he doesn’t need to sleep, not now. Not until Fundy is there to take care of Dream. Not until he knows Dream won’t accidentally die in his sleep.

He forces himself up, the thoughts still swirling in his head, and finds himself pacing, trying to keep himself awake as he _thinks_.

A memory pops up, and he wants to say he doesn’t remember it, doesn’t remember nearly anything, but once he starts to think about it, it all comes back.

Someone new had joined that day, someone who doesn’t even exist on the server anymore. It wasn’t that long ago, either, but they were new, and clearly didn’t know what was going on, because the moment they joined, they challenged Dream, and what was Dream going to do, decline? He accepted the duel, and it wasn’t until after it started that everyone realized what was going on.

Dream nearly lost a fight, nearly lost the fight, nearly died when the sword was held to his throat and the blood trickled down into his shirt.

“I want complete control,” The man had said, glaring at Dream, and Dream had glared right back.

“Over my dead body,” He had said, and his sword stabbed.

Wilbur couldn’t remember all of his relief, but he could remember most of it, especially since everyone had been relieved, even the people who said they hated Dream with all of their heart. Nobody messed with Dream for a bit after that, because they could feel the worry that had been coursing through his veins, they could feel the anxiety that had been filling him up.

But the peace has to end eventually, right? It always does.

“Oh, god, Dream,” He mutters to himself, glancing at the man as he paces. “How are you okay?”

This thought comes out of nowhere, spilling out of him, and though he doesn’t know where it came from, he knows why, easily, thinking over all of the memories. How is Dream okay?

When Fundy wakes a few hours later, Wilbur doesn’t even try to walk back to his room to sleep, collapsing in the medical bed beside Dreams, and when he wakes, he finds someone had pulled the cover over him while he slept, and a glass of water was on the bedside table, along with a note, but he doesn’t grab it before he glances over at Dreams bed, and strangely, he feels at ease when he finds him sleeping still, face looking calm. And that’s not weird, though, is it?

“He’s fine.” Fundy speaks, and it’s only then that Wilbur notices the man standing off to the side, eating food. HE nearly jumps, slightly weirded out that he didn't even notice the man standing there. “He only just fell asleep again a couple hours ago, so he should wake up before you fall asleep again.”

“I-” Wilbur starts, breaking off as he suddenly finds that he doesn’t know what to say. The thought that had been in his mind left, and he tries to think for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. The thought won’t return, though, even though it’s on the tip of his tongue, and he sighs, before looking down at his lap and glancing back up at Fundy. “Thank you, Fundy. Thank you so much. You’ve helped us so much, and I don’t know how to repay you.”

“Just repay me by living, alright? And make sure that bastard doesn’t die.” He jerks his head towards Dream, and Wilbur chuckles, nodding his head. 

“I’ll do my best.”

“That’s all I can ask.” Fundy nods, and as they settle into the comfortable silence, Wilbur can’t help but think to himself, _How long is this going to last?_ Because he’s not stupid, okay? He’s not, and it never ends like this. It always ends in a duel, in a battle, between two sides, and he wonders who will fall first.

Will it be them, or the others? Will Dream be forced to fight the others? Will Dream be given the mercy of healing, of letting his bones heal, or will Schlatt challenge him and tell him it’s his own fault? Will Schlatt force him to fight like this, barely being able to walk, or will he show mercy for once?

If Schlatt was a bastard, a true one, he might make Dream fight George, who was once his best friend, but now his enemy. They could’ve been friends, still, if it wasn’t for last night, or for when Wilbur first joined forces with Dream, when George nearly sliced Dream’s arm off, trying to destroy him before anything got worse.

These are the thoughts swirling through his mind as he sits on the bed, and he wonders what’s going to happen once everything starts to go down. Once their world is turned upside down. God, he wants Schlatt dead so, _so_ bad.

“Where are the boys?” He asks quietly, not wanting to be loud in the room, and Fundy’s tail swishes behind him.

“They’re playing Uno in Tommy’s room, I think. It was one of their rooms, I know.” He takes another bite of his pork chop, and Wilbur thanks him, leaning back in his bed. “I think they’re going to pass out soon as well, though, so don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t worrying,” Wilbur mutters, but his brain tells him otherwise.

“Wilbur,” Fundy says, and he sighs.

“Ok, maybe I was.” Fundy doesn’t say a word, but Wilbur covers his face with his hands, trying to hide behind them. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Fundy defends himself, his ears perked up, voice nearly sounding like he was going to gasp it.

“But you were going to!” Wilbur defends, and when he looks back at Fundy, the man’s crossed his arms.

“Shut up and go back to sleep.” Fundy says, and Wilbur laughs at that. “It was better when you were sleeping.”

“Sure, sure.” He grins, and Fundy can’t even hide his smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI I CHANGED IT TO 3 CHPATERS BC. IDEAS
> 
> dedicated to lance bc they had to hear me as i wrote this dkfhjghf
> 
> this is 5523 oh my god

Tubbo crafts Dream a new mask, one to match his old one.

It’s not perfect, far from it, but it matches his old one and serves the same purpose, and Wilbur can’t help but smile at Tubbo and ruffle his hair when he presents it to Dream.

“Since your old one broke, I thought, uh, that I would make you a new one!” He tells Dream, and he looks so happy that Wilbur can tell Dream has no choice but to take it.

“Thank you, Tubs,” Dream tells him, a soft smile on his face, and Tubbos face is beaming at that, Dream leaning forward to wrap an arm around him. “I’ll wear it all the time, alright?”

“Okay!” Tubbo smiles, hugging him back.

Once he’s let go, Dream tugs the mask over his face, securing it before he drops his hands again, one unconsciously resting against his sword. Wilbur leans forward and pulls Dream's hair out from behind his mask, where it had been trapped, and Dream’s hair rustles in the wind, it already fluffing it up before Wilbur has a chance to.

“Oh! Thanks.” Dream says, and if Wilbur isn’t wrong, he swears he can hear a blush underneath those words. He smiles, and he wishes for a moment that Dream wasn’t leaving.

“You’re welcome.”

Dream waves at them again, and steps out of the shadows of the trees, heading towards his city, and they watch until he disappears in the trees.

“When will he be back?” Tubbo asks, voice sad, and Wilbur grabs him and pulls him close, wrapping an arm around him.

“Soon, I promise, Tubbo.” He tells him, and Tubbo looks up and smiles, nodding his head. “You wanna go play Uno, to try and distract yourself?”

“Yeah! Come on Tommy!” Tubbo exclaims, and he lets go of Wilbur, running with Tommy inside.

Wilbur and Fundy wait until they’re sure the boys are inside, before looking at each other, sighing. Fundy tail swishes nervously, his ears twitching, and Wilbur walks forward to open the door, locking it securely behind them after Fundy has entered, and they stay there, leaning against the wall.

“Do you think that he’s going to be fine?” Wilbur asks, voice quiet, and Fundy nods easily. “How do you know?”

“Dream isn’t the type of man to go down easily.” He answers, “And I have a feeling that if someone tried to kill him now, they’d end up being the dead ones.”

“Even with him being injured?” Wilbur knows he looks worried, can feel it himself, and Fundy’s answer feels like a reassurance.

“Especially since he’s injured.” Fundy smiles and his tail swishes behind again. “Besides, I don’t think anything bad could happen tonight.”

Wilbur nods, and starts walking towards the main room, the one he knows Tubbo will be in. Fundy follows behind him wordlessly.

“You’re probably right. I’m just worried.” He confesses, and Fundy walks a little bit faster to be beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop the man.

“It’s okay to be worried, okay?” He stares into Wilbur’s eyes, and he nods. Fundy’s hand drops off his shoulder and they continue forward, smiling when they hear the sounds of laughter.

They’ll be okay, for now.

-

Dream pants as he dives, rolling the moment he hits the floor, his shield up the second he has a chance, his sword standing beside it. The sound of a sword hitting it makes him wince, and he moves it for less than a second, sparing a glance, and when he spies Skeppy already moving, he steps back as fast as he dares, mind moving a mile a second.

The sound of the release of arrows hit his ears, and he moves, passing the hail of arrows, and runs, weaving through the bodies. The sound of yelling sounds behind him, and he’s nearly gone, nearly finally left, when he drops, the lower half of his body held by someone.

The shouting overwhelms him, louder than anything else, and he tries to escape, tries his best to leave, but a punch hits his face, and when he looks up, dazed, the horns block the sun from his vision.

“Oh, you bastard,” Schlatt nearly growls, the smile on his face a stark contrast to his voice, “you’re going to regret ever doing what you’ve done.”

“Never,” Dream mumbles, turning his head to spit out blood.

“Bitch,” Schlatt nearly whispers, and Dream’s face throbs again. “You’ll regret ever being born.”

He can feel ropes being tied around his ankles and his wrists, and he tries to struggle, tries to escape, but any little bit of movement causes Schlatt to punch him, and it isn’t long before the blackness takes over his vision, and he falls unconscious, welcoming it.

-

“Do you think Dream is okay?” Tubbo whispers in the near dark of the room, looking at Tommy the best he can.

 _No_ , Tommy thinks, _He can’t possibly be okay_ , but he doesn’t express this thought out loud. He doesn’t want to hurt Tubbo’s heart tonight, doesn’t want him to cry over this. Tubbo hasn’t told him anything, but he knows Tubbo views Dream as a second older brother (and secretly, he does as well), and he doesn't want him to think about anything bad.

“Of course,” Is his response, and he desperately wants to believe himself. “Do you think Big D would hurt himself in less than two days? I bet he’d feel insulted, Tubbo!”

Tubbo laughs at that, and Tommy grins, feeling accomplished, before the door opens and the light turns on. They both raise an arm to block out the light, blinking as they stare at Fundy and Wilbur, a piece of paper gripped in the latter’s hand.

“What-?” Tommy starts, but Wilbur speaks before he can finish, his voice tight and his grip even tighter.

“They’ve taken him.” His eyes are hard, and Tommy can only stare in shock as Tubbo’s choked- off gasp sounds behind him. “They ambushed him when he got back to the base, and they’re asking for one of you, or else they’re going to _murder_ him.” His voice is choked at the end, and Fundy rests a hand against his back as Wilbur blinks back the tears. “ _Fuck_.”

Tommy’s mind is whirling a million miles a minute, but he stays still, not making a noise, even though he’s panicking. He can’t think of how to help and fuck, Dream is going to die because of _them_.

“Technoblade!” He blurts suddenly, the name escaping before he can think, before he even thought of the man. They stare at him, and he scrambles to speak, to explain. “He gave me permission to his server, before I joined here, and I could get him, and have him help us! He’d help us get Dream back, and maybe even help with more! I know I could get him on, Wilbur, and Dream won’t die.”

He stares at the others desperately, and Wilbur stares back, until his shoulders slump, and he nods, once.

“Find him, Tommy, _please_.” He asks, and Tommy nods, running to grab his armor, and it’s only when he’s nearly left that he notices Tubbo following behind. 

“I’m coming with you.” Tubbo tells him before he can speak, and he looks at him for a long second before nodding, opening the door.

“To the server we go,” He mutters, and the two disappear into the night, the light of their home disappearing behind them.

-

Wilbur shuffles in the darkness of the room, lit only by a candle, and he reads the letter once, twice, and a third time before he stops, the tears filling his eyes. He leans back in his chair, his hands finding a place over his eyes, and tries to stop them before they can spill, trying to hide the red of his eyes before it can start.

_Dear Wilbur,_

_Wow, times have changed, haven’t they? Not for you, though. You’re still a traitor. But I can’t believe you managed to get Dream over to your cause! How much did it cost, because I know it took more than a couple diamonds (and that’s probably considered rich in your group). But, truly, you need to tell me one day, before I can kill._

_And that reminds me: have you figured out that we have Dream yet? I wouldn’t expect you to figure it out, but for anyone else who happens upon this, it’s very simple. We have Dream, and we will kill him in a week unless you hand either Tubbo or Tommy over. It’s a simple trade, really. A life for a life._

_We expect your answer shortly, and if there is none, we will proceed with the execution._

_Hope to hear from you soon._

_Schlatt._

If the letter hadn’t been enough, the man had attached a photograph of Dream, and it must’ve been taken as they took him, because he was on the ground, rope tied around his wrists. Wilbur would’ve thought that the man was asleep, except he could _see_ the marks on his face, marks from where someone must’ve punched him, and his mask was _broken_.

He had already made a new one, as a just in case, and he’s grateful he did so, the photograph ingrained into his mind. Oh, he wants to kill the fucker right this moment. He wants to march over to Manberg and knock the doors down until he finds him, and he wants to slice him so, so badly, but he _can’t_.

He can’t abandon them, not now, not _ever_.

Fuck,” He whispers in the silence of the room, leaning forward. The tears drip down his face freely, and they stain the parchment, the ink bleeding freely. It runs down, and he can’t do anything except cry, hands reaching up once again, pressing firmly against his face.

He hopes Tommy will be back soon, because even though he’s the leader, he doesn’t know what to do. He’s _scared_ . He’ll admit this freely. He’s scared, and he’s scared Dream will die, and he doesn’t know what to _do_.

-

 _TommyInnit has joined the game._ _  
__Tubbo_ has joined the game._

Tommy bursts out onto the stone, and Tubbo falls beside him, the portal staying open behind them. The world is quiet except for their panting, and as Tommy raises his head, he finds the man they had come for already walking towards them, his cape flowing in the wind.

“Techno!” He calls, and the man’s eyes widen.

“Tommy?” He says questionably, and his eyes must’ve found the cut on Tommy’s face, because when they make eye contact again, he has a slight bit of anger in it. “What’s happened?”

“ _Schlatt_.” He says, and he can hear how desperate he sounds, because Tubbo steps closer, grabbing his hand. “He’s taken Dream, Techno, and he won’t give him back.”

“Dream?” Techno questions, “When the fuck did this happen?”

“Yesterday.” Tubbo speaks for the first time, and even though Techno has never met Tubbo before, Tommy can see that the man trusts him the moment he lies eyes on him. “The man’s injured, and they fucking hurt an already injured man.”

“What do you mean ‘hurt’?” Tommy questions, confused, and Tubbo looks at him.

“You didn’t see it, Tommy, but they sent a fucking _picture_ .” His voice shakes in anger, and Tommy squeezes his hand, trying to remind him that he’s here. “They tied him up and punched him till his mask broke again, and then stopped to take a _picture_.”

“What was this fellow’s name again?” Techno asks, his anger hidden, but Tommy picks up on it anyways, and he doesn’t hesitate in speaking, wanting the name to be known.

“Schlatt.” He spits, and Techno sighs. He turns back and starts down the road, and Tommy and Tubbo glance at each other before following, a million questions on the tip of their tongues, but Techno only closes a gate before turning back to them, an unreadable expression on his face. When they don’t move, and only stay staring at him, he cocks an eyebrow, gesturing towards the portal.

“So are we gonna kill that fucker, or not?”

-

The cell is cold, and Dream shivers as he wraps his arms around himself, resting his back against the corner. The room is devoid of windows, bars, _anything_. It’s just stone and an iron door, the door only ever opening for a letter to slide in, and they're all ripped up in the corner, the three mixed together.

He can’t remember what any of them said, specifically, but they all had the same basic message, telling him to give up infor, or else he would die. Did they not know he’d rather die than betray them?

His stomach growls in the quietness of the cell, and he moves his arms down to his stomach, slowly moving down the wall until he’s curled up on his side, eyes tearing up as he stares blankly at the wall opposite of him. His stomach feels ready to eat him, just so that he can be full again. The near-emptiness makes him wanna throw up, and if he doesn’t focus hard enough, he knows he will, and who will be forced to deal with that? Him.

The glass of water is the only thing in him, and the cup was taken away the moment he finished, and it wasn’t until later that he figured out that he could’ve used the broken pieces as a weapon. Smart.

He groans, eyes closed, and nearly misses the sound of the door opening. It’s creaks alert him, though, and he opens his eyes blearily, blinking. The door closes, and a body is in front of him, pressing their hand against his forehead, and it feels so good that he shifts his head closer, trying to get more contact. The hands rests for a moment, maybe even longer, and when it pulls away, he nearly releases a whine, before remembering where he is.

“He’s definitely sick.” George says, and he blinks, looking up at the man in front of him. When did George get here? “Do you want me to go grab Fundy?”

Dream can see Schlatt shakes his head, and his eyes drop back down to the ground, only listening this time around.

“No, no, it won’t be necessary. Nobody will care if he’s sick or not when he’s executed.”

“ _Executed_?” George exclaims, and Dream feels more than sees him get up. “When the fuck was this decided?” 

“Last week!” Schlatt says, and he sounds _happy_ . “Everything is already planned, don’t worry!”  
  
“Where the fuck am I in this equation?” George asks, and Dream looks up at them, and notices George’s clenched hands, notices how George looks like he wants to punch Schlatt so _bad_.

Schlatt frowns, his arms crossing. “You were busy. You’re supposed to be happy! WHy aren’t you happy?”

“Maybe I don’t want to see a man executed, Schlatt! This is stupid-” He starts, but the man interrupts him before he can finish.

“ _Public_ execution.” 

“That doesn’t make it better!” He exclaims, shaking his head. “No, no, I refuse, I won’t let you do this.”

Neither of them notice Dream slowly passing out again, and neither pay any mind to the blonde as his body relaxes against the floor.

“Who’s the president here, George? Me, or you?” Schlatt’s voice is angry, and his hands have curled into fists as he looks at the taller man. The man is frowning, and he opens his mouth to answer, but Schlatt speaks before he can, nearly yelling. “It’s _me_ , George. Not you. You don’t make the fucking decisions around here, alright? I do! I’m the fucking _president_ , that’s my job. Don’t question my decisions or go against them again, you hear? Don’t do that, or there will be consequences.”

“Yessir.” George mutters sarcastically, but he glances back at the man in the cell as he leaves, and his heart nearly breaks as he sees the fever still on his face. 

Fuck, why did he do this? Why did he join this _bastard_? It was never supposed to be like this. Fuck. 

He needs help.

The moment he has a chance, the moment everyone is asleep, he runs, branches slapping him in the face as he runs as fast as he can to spawn, jumping through the portal as fast as he can. He’s typing the code in before he can forget, and jumps through two more portals until he drops into the soft grass, his name being called before he can even register who it is.

It’s Sapnap, of course, shouting a _hey mamas_ at him, grinning uncontrollably, and he lets the man grab him in a hug, returning it before he gently untangles himself, and Sap must see something in his eyes, because he speaks before George can even open his mouth.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, eyes searching George’s face. “And where’s Dream?”

He tells the story before he can forget to, and when he’s done, Sap’s eyes are hard and his hands are curled into fists. George has never seen him this angry, never, and for the first time, he wonders if it’s aimed at him. He wants to defend himself, wants to tell Sap he never meant for this to happen, but his mouth won’t work and neither will his hands.

“Do you know where their base is?” Sap asks as he starts walking towards his home, and George follows behind, nodding.

“I can bring you to it.” He tells him, and Sap nods as an answer, and a moment later, they’re back walking towards the portal, the rustling of armor being the only sound behind him. He never looks back, not even for a moment, and they go through the portal together, and when they arrive they’re quiet, walking through the forest without a sound.

When George shows him the base, he turns to leave, thinking no words will be exchanged, but Sap rests a hand on his shoulder, and when he turns around, the brunette pulls him into a hug. It’s nearly awkward, but not quiet, and he wraps his arms back around him, only letting go once Sap has. They stare at each in a moment of silence, and George gives him a soft smile.

“Save Dream for me, please.” He says, and turns before Sap can see his tears, walking back towards Manberg.

His night has been busy, and he still has more to do.

-

Sapnap knocks on the door, stepping back, and waits as the moon shines brightly, nearly overhead. A couple more days, and it’ll be a full moon, he thinks.

There’s footsteps from behind the door, and as it swings open, a sword is held in front of him, pointed at his throat. The boy holding the sword doesn’t drop it, not until the other comes out beside him and gasps, running forward.

“Sapnap!” The boy exclaims, wrapping his arms around him, and Sap laughs, picking the boy up and spinning them around.

“Tubbo!” He responds, just as happily, and he sets the boy down before they can get dizzy, smiling down at him. He ruffles his hair, and looks up at the blonde, who’s still standing there, his sword now dropped. He’s staring at him with an expression he can’t place, but before he knows it, Tommy’s rushed forward and wrapped his arms around him as tight as he can, burying his face in his shoulder. “Oh, Tommy.” He whispers, hand moving to rest in Tommy’s hair, and the boy nearly cries. “Let’s get inside first, alright?”

The boy nods, and they separate, Sapnap leaning down to pick up his dropped sword, following the two younger boys back inside. Tubbo locks the door behind him, and Tommy hugs him again, a rare moment of softness. Sap doesn’t hesitate in hugging him back, and Tommy only separates from him when Wilbur arrives a minute later, hair ruffled.

“Oh, thank Ender.” Wilbur breathes out, and Sap grins, content to just greet everyone currently.

“Hey, Wilbur!” He exclaims, and Wilbur moves forward to give a half hug, stepping back a few seconds later. “Is there anyone else, or…?” 

“Sapnap,” The deep voice nearly scares him, and his eyes widen as he looks down the hall, the grin that had disappeared from his face coming back in full force.

“Technoblade!” He exclaims, and the pink haired man grins, stepping forward to fist-bump with Sap. “How have you been?”

“Well, y’know,” He shrugs, “The usual. How about you?”

“Oh, y’know,” He shrugs as well, “Same soup, just reheated.”

“What?” He hears Tommy mutter, and he smiles to himself, one hidden slightly by the shadow.

They all smile, and Sap could nearly trick himself into thinking that this was just a normal meeting, over something normal, when Wilbur’s smile fades and his arms drop, his normally cheery face changing to something more serious.

“So, why are you here, Sap?” He asks, and the others glance at him, before glancing at Sap, and he can tell they had the same question on their minds. He nearly sighs, and he slips off his helmet, resting it underneath his arm.

“George found me,” Is what he starts with, and before the others can speak, before they can interrupt, he puts a hand up, stopping their mouths from opening any further. “Let me explain, alright?”

“Would you like to sit down, first?” Wilbur asks, first, and he doesn’t even have to think before he nods, and they all follow the tall man, going to the main room. Sap waits until they’re all settled, until everyone is ready, and it’s only then that he speaks.

“George came and found me, in my world. I had been coming towards the portal, and he dropped down and looked up, and I had yelled at him and hugged him, but I pulled away and he looked really sad and worried, y’know? And he told me about Dream, about how he had been taken, and how he was in a cell, and how he was going to be _executed_. But, he told me that Schlatt never told him any of this, hadn’t told him they had gotten Dream until they were outside the cell, and how when they went in, Dream looked really, really fucking small.” He pauses, swallowing, and he knows everyone in the room can see his worry.

“George said he went over, and felt Dream had a fever, because Schlatt broke his fucking mask punching him so hard, and offered to get Fundy so that he could heal Dream, and Schlatt said no. He said nobody would care whether Dream was sick or not when he was executed, and that’s when George found out about the execution, and he argued with him, trying to stop it, but Schlatt told him that George doesn’t make the rules, he does, so that there would be an execution no matter what. So, he left during the night, and found me.”

The silence in the room is nearly unbearable, and as he looks around the room, he can see the shock on everyone’s faces, everyone thinking about how cruel Schlatt was.

“The bastard,” Techno is the first to speak, growling out the name, and nobody speaks. “How many days do we have left?” 

“Four,” Wilbur says, and he sounds so _angry_ , angrier than Sap has ever heard him. “Shit, how are we going to do this?”

Everyone talks at once, trying to suggest ideas, throwing out suggestions, but they quiet when Sapnap stands up, turning around, _leaving_.

“Sap!” One of them calls in a panicked voice, and he turns back, just for a moment, watching as Wilbur stands up. “Where are you going?”

“Well, we won’t be able to do this with just us, so I thought that I’d go get a couple more friends.” He tells him, and Wilbur relaxes at that, nodding.

“Please,” He responds, and Sap just nods before going back, walking through the hallway and into the light of the dawn.

The walk feels longer than usual, but he guesses it’s because he has a purpose now. Or he may have forgotten which way the portal was and had to walk backwards, but honestly, who else is going to know? Nobody if he doesn’t tell them.

When he arrives at the portal and passes through, it only takes a message and a minute for a response to come back, telling him the code, and he arrives quickly enough, standing on the grass as he waits. It takes a couple minutes, but he hears the yell of his name, and he turns, only to be knocked down by the man.

He’s laughing, and Sap can’t help but laugh with him, laughing even harder when he spies the brown-haired man standing above them, looking down with a nearly disapproving stare. It doesn’t work, and he’s laughing with them, helping the two of them up once they’ve finished laughing, only still occasionally giggling when they look at each other.

“So, Sap, what brings you to our humble world?” Eret asks, and Sap’s giggles slow off, until his face has changed to a frown, as he tries to figure out what to say. 

“Is everything okay?” Karl asks, and Sap shakes his head, the sigh leaving his mouth.

“Schlatt took Dream.” Is all he says, and he wipes his face, hoping that they won’t see. “He’s being held in a cell right now with no food and he has a fever, and they’re going to publicly execute him in four days.”

“What?” Eret’s voice drops low, lower than usual, and Sap can hear the anger in his voice. 

“We have to go back _now_ ,” Karl interrupts, and the two run to grab their stuff, meeting back with Sap within a few minutes. As they go through the portals and walk to the base, he tells them everything that he knows, and they look angry by the time they’ve arrived, their weapons held tight in their hands, and as they walk in, Sap can’t help but be proud that they're so angry.

 _Schlatt won’t live to see another week_ , he thinks, and he knows in his heart that this thought is true.

-

George’s heart is heavy as he stands beside Schlatt, watching as the guards open the door. It’s quiet, the creaking the only noise, and he follows behind Schlatt silently, watching as he orders the guards to pick the man up.

Dream’s fever had broken the other day, thank Ender, but he still seems so weak, body limp in the guards arms. George wants to reach out, wants to hold his friend once again, but Schlatt will pull him back before he has a chance, stopping him before he could do anything.

“Seems like a good day for an execution, huh, George?” Schlatt grins beside him, as they walk out of the room and down the hall, and he can only nod, listening as Schlatt talks. “Quackity is already at the stage, so don’t worry. He’s just making sure everything is ready, so that nothing will go wrong when it’s time for Dream to die.”

The urge to just run fills George’s body at that moment, nearly overwhelming him. He wants to grab Dream and run, run until they’re free and away from the war, until they’re free from everyone. He wants to take him and free him, but he can’t. He’d be killed the moment he tried anything, his status be damned. He’d be killed quickly, and his body would be left in the hallway as they continued on, continuing to go execute Dream.

So he clenches his fists and stays silent, only half-listening as they walk, and once they hit the sunlight, the blood drips from his palms, his nails digging in harshly. Easily, he can spy the others hidden in the shadows, waiting, and he grins inwardly, glad that they’re here. 

A hand lands on his shoulder, and he flinches, looking down at the man beside him.

“You ready?” He asks, his horns glinting in the light, and George knows it isn’t a true question, so he nods, following him.

Fuck, he hopes they can stop them.

-

Sapnap’s angry as he watches the men walk out, eyes instantly going to the body being carried in a guards arms. Dream looks so small, his hoodie stained with blood, and he could nearly growl at it, before his eyes move over to George, who is standing beside Schlatt, looking small. His hands are curled into fists, he can see easily, and he looks hard enough, he can see the blood dripping off of his hands.

Schlatt rests a hand on George’s shoulder, and he sees him flinch, hard, and he wonders, for a second, what has happened since he’s been gone?

The feet hit the ground softly, and he can feel Karl’s hand on his shoulder as they watch the men walk up the wooden steps and take their place on the platform. Dream looks sick as he shuffles across the stage, looks ready to fall at any moment. Quackity is prepared, and Sap is forced to watch as they wait, wait for the moment, and when they’ve readied Dream, is when Wilbur steps out, his sword raised.

That’s the cue, the signal, and everyone steps out of the shadows, ready, and Schlatt laughs, the bastard.

“Guards,” He grins, his expression evil, darkening the sunlight on his face, “Kill them.”

They all charge, and Sap slips away from them, getting to the stage, and he couldn’t be happier that he was the one chosen for this part, chosen to do this, because the slicing of the ropes never felt better.

“Sap-!” Dream gasps, and Sap kneels beside him, a soft smile on his face.

“Hi, Dream,” He says, and Dream wraps his arms around him, even as Schlatt continues up the stairs.

“Oh, you’ve fucked up,” The man nearly whistles, snapping his fingers at George. “George, kill them, please.”

Sap glances at him, and their eye contact lasts only a moment, even though it feels like a moment. He throws his sword before he can think about it, and George catches it and turns, slicing Quackity down before the man can even move. His body drops, disappearing before it can hit the ground, and the two messages are a quick succession, the man being banned before he can even respawn.

“George,” Schlatt says, and his voice nearly sounds broken, but his face looks angry, “What have you done?” 

“Something I should’ve done a long time ago.” George says simply, raising the sword again. “I should’ve never joined you, Schlatt. You’re a thief and a bastard, and you’re never going to win this fight.”

“That’s what you think,” Schlatt laughs, his sword raising, but a hand grabs his hair and yanks his head back, his sword clattering to the ground as a new one is held against his throat.

“You’re going to regret this.” Wilbur nearly growls, his face angry, and it’s only then that Sap notices how quiet it’s turned, as he stays kneeling beside Dream, helping him up as George stands there. “Dream, would you like the honor?”

Dream’s standing at this point, only lightly resting on Sap, and he shakes his head, nearly unable to speak. “You.. do.. it.” He rasps out, and they watch as Schlatt’s throat is slit, his hands moving up.

He’s dead within the minute, banned quickly, and then, and only then, do they relax, smiling. The boys on the ground cheer, and everyone starts to join in, laughing and happy, and Sap wants to, wants to join in, but he turns to look at Dream, and the man looks dead on his feet.

“Dream?” He says quietly, and the man turns, his mouth opening to say something, but his eyes close and he falls, Sap catching him quickly. “Shit, _Dream_.”

That catches Wilbur’s attention, and he rushes over, looking up at Sap, asking permission with his eyes, and Sap nods back quickly, handing him over. He runs, faster than Sap has seen him run, and he only drops his eyes once the man is gone from view.

“Where is he taking him?” George asks, and his voice sounds panicked, slightly.

“To Fundy, George. Don’t worry.” He rests a hand on his shoulder, and he feels George relax under his touch. “He’ll be okay.”  
  
“He better.” George mutters, and they turn back to face the men below, smiling when they see them still celebrating, so _happy_. “What are we going to do now?”

“What do you mean?” He says, even though he knows, deep in his heart.

“How are we going to live after this?” George asks, softly, and Sap shakes his head, staring down at the boys.

“I don’t know.” His voice is soft, softer than George’s, and he watches Tommy chase Tubbo, the two boys laughing as they play tag. “Let’s just focus on everything that’s happening right now, instead of the future, alright?”

“I’m fine with that.” George stands beside him, and they watch, feeling at ease for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI COMMENTS FUEL ME BTW


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi i might write a oneshot to go with this soon :flushed:
> 
> also!!! idk if anyone here has read my other stories but im gonna be taking down a couple of mine to rewrite as i’m pretty sure wilbur doesn’t like to be shipped!!! so this is a just in case

Dream’s head rests securely against Wilbur’s chest as he runs, and he can hear Karl and Eret following behind, his plan still similar to their own.

They’re the ones who open the door for him, and Karl follows him down the hall as Eret locks the door, and Wilbur is the one to curse when they come into the room and Fundy is gone.

“Shit, where is he?” He says, and Eret comes into the room, holding up a piece of paper.

“He left a note saying he had to go grab some supplies,” He says, his voice heavy, and Karl’s already dropping his armor and shoving it across the room, searching through the chests as Wilbur sets Dream down on the bed, the younger groaning. Wilbur whispers an apology as he starts undressing him, pulling off his outerwear, leaving him in his shirt and pants, both of which are stained with blood.

“Oh, Ender,” Wilbur’s voice nearly breaks as his eyes trail down Dream, a hand reaching out to grab Dream’s own. Eret kneels beside the bed, and he feels the sadness as he looks at Dream as well, the marks still evident on his face, even though it’s been a week, the sickness causing Dream to shiver. He has a fever again, Eret can tell easily, and Karl turns back, a hand resting on Dream’s forehead. He frowns, and when Dream nearly whines when he starts to pull it away, he keeps it there, smiling softly.

“He definitely has a fever.” He speaks quietly, and Eret assumes it must be to not disturb Dream. “We’re going to need to bring it down, because who knows how long he’s had it?”

Wilbur nods, and he’s the one to leave, telling them that he’ll get a near-warm bath ready. Eret is sad to see him go, but Dream’s hand grabs his own weakly, and he finds he doesn’t have the energy to leave Dream, not in his moment of weakness.

“I’m here,” He whispers, squeezing Dream’s hand. “I won’t leave you.”

Karl runs his fingers through Dream’s hair, ruffling it before he finally leaves, grabbing bandages out of the chest. He catches Eret’s eye and she shakes his head, answering the unasked question.

“Re-bandaging.” He says softly, and Eret nods in understanding, before turning back to Dream, finding that the man has already fallen asleep. He smiles down at him, and he’s unaware that Karl is doing the same, the both of them unknowingly doing the same, pausing for a moment to smile at the sleeping man. “We really wouldn’t be able to survive without him, huh?”

“Yeah.” Eret finds himself agreeing easily, the words slipping out before he can stop them. They’re the truth, though. He can’t imagine a world without Dream, the man laughing as they practice sword fighting, laughing as they shove each other too hard and knock each other down. He can’t imagine a world without the Dream, the man nearly yelling as he defends Eret, his sword clashing against the mobs as Eret stays against the tree, already trying to bandage his wound. He can’t imagine a world without Dream, and that idea is nearly too much to handle.

“Is it time to bring him to the bath?” He asks instead of voicing any of his thoughts out loud, pushing them down, for a later time, when everything is calm and he can _think_.

“Yeah, yeah, as long as Wilbur’s actually filled it.” Karl answers, gathering items into his arms, and Eret gets up, leans forward to carefully pull Dream into his arms, walking slowly towards their washing room, listening as Dream mumbles against his chest. “What’s he saying?” Karl whispers, and Eret shrugs lightly, glancing down to make sure he didn’t disturb the man.

“No clue.” He says honestly, “I think I heard a couple people’s names mentioned, though.”

“Whose?” Karl asks, and Eret wonders if it’s actually important, and he thinks that maybe it is, so he tells him, not even having to think.

“He mentioned Sap and Wilbur, and I wanna say I heard Tommy and Tubbo, but they’re the ones I’m not so sure I heard.” Karl nods, and they continue in silence, listening to the near mumbling occasionally coming from Dream, until they enter the room, spotting Wilbur almost immediately.

“Is he better?” He asks anxiously, arms reaching to take Dream from Eret’s grip, even though it’s only been a few minutes, and Eret surrenders him easily, while Karl shakes his head.

“We need to break his fever.” He says, and even though they all know this, they nod as if this is new information. “Someone will have to be in the tub with him, just to hold him up and make sure he doesn’t… drown or something. Do either of you two wanna do it?”

“I will.” Wilbur volunteers, and Eret shoots him a grateful smile, and Wilbur returns it with a smaller one. “Besides, if this fever causes him to be delirious, it’d be better for him to wake up with me than with either of you two.”

“Ah.” Eret nods, Karl nodding as well, and they all grin at this, feeling normal for a moment, before it ends with Karl asking Eret to help Wilbur get Dream into the tub.

“I need to get in first, don’t I?” Wilbur asks, and when Karl nods, he lifts Dream back up to Eret, letting go and stripping down to his boxers before climbing into the bathtub, lightly shivering in the air. Eret puts Dream down gently, and Wilbur wraps his arms around the man, resting his chin on his shoulder as he pulls them back softly, gently.

The bathtub water turns red, stained from Dream’s wounds, but Wilbur doesn’t seem to mind, and he instead only tightens his grip on Dream, waiting. They all sit there, unable to do anything, not wanting to move away until they know, and so, they sit.

Not long after, they hear the door open, and Eret leaves, silently deciding to be the one to lead everyone away and give them the information. They can hear shouting, and yelling, with Sap yelling something at one point, but soon, it quiets, and Eret slips back in, shutting the door behind him.

“They’ve all gone to Sap and Dream’s place.” He speaks softly, and Karl wonders, for a second, if he’s afraid of waking up Dream. “They don’t want to disturb Dream, and they all basically agreed it was better to try and heal him in a place where there were only 4 people instead of a place where there were tons more.”

“What about Sap and George? Did they argue a lot?” Wilbur asks, speaking just as softly, and Eret shakes his head.

“George, no. Sap, well, I’m sure you could hear his yells.” He grins, and they all nod, a smile on their faces. “Once George told him how it’d be better for Dream to heal with the people he was already around, and how it would be overwhelming to throw everyone else in, he calmed down, but said that the second Dream was okay, I had to go get him.”

“That’s fine.” Karl says, smiling, and they talk softly for a few more minutes, talking about the first things that come into their minds, until Dream turns his head, disrupting Wilbur’s head from his place. 

Karl is the first to move, resting a hand against the back of Dream’s forehead, and they all wait in silence, eyes following every look on Karl’s face, until he breathes a sigh of relief, eyes closing as he leans back, and they smile, wide.

“It’s broken.” He says, just as a confirmation, and Eret and Wilbur haven’t ever felt happier.

“Do you think a healing potion would keep it away?” Wilbur asks a few minutes later, after he’s gotten out of the bathtub and dried himself off, pulling his clothes back on as Eret holds Dream. 

“Of fucking course.” Karl says, handing him his shirt.”That’d basically make it go away.”

“Ok.” Wilbur nods, and Karl questions him, wondering why he’s asking. “Only so I can tell Fundy, okay? He knows how to do all this potion shit, not me.”

“I think the letter he left mentioned that he’d be going to get brewing supplies.” Eret adds, and they all leave the room together, Karl shutting it behind him after he flicks the light off. “HE should be back soon, though, right?”

Before anyone can comment or respond, they hear the sound of the door opening, clearly coming from the front, and when they arrive in the medbay, setting Dream down, Fundy appears a moment later, a bag over his shoulder. His eyes widen when he catches sight of all of them, and Wilbur could nearly laugh at his expression.

He knows they all look like bloody messes, but it's appropriate this time, especially considering the fact that Schlatt is dead. That feels weird to think of, and he nearly giggles at the thought, but he’d look like a maniac, so he holds himself back, only smiling. But they look like messes, he knows. They all have blood on them, Dream most of all, and he sits beside the man as he blinks up at him, completely ignoring Fundy.

“Wilbur?” Dream says softly, a hand reaching up, and Wilbur leans forward, moving as well, until he’s close enough for Dream to rest a hand on his cheek, tears coming out of his eyes as he stares down at him. “Are you actually here?”

“Of course.” He whispers, and he can hear the others talking to each other, but he only focuses on Dream, bringing a hand up to rest it over Dream’s own. “I’m here, Dream, I promise.”

Dream’s eyes water, and before he knows it, Wilbur’s pressed against Dream, arms wrapped around him.

“I th-thought you were dead-” Dream starts, a near sob cutting him off, and Wilbur moves them, until Dream is on his side and he can wrap his arms around him. Dream moves him, again, until he’s resting atop of him, a position opposite to their first one, and Wilbur wraps his arms around him, secure.

“I’m here, Dream. I’m _real_ .” He says, softly, and Dream shakes in his arms, gripping him tightly. “Do you need something, to help you, Dream? A potion, a friend, a touch, anything?” He asks this last part softly, trying to help Dream, trying to get him to _speak_.

“A healing potion might be nice, but I just want you to keep hugging me.” Dream whispers, nearly sobs, still crying, the words coming out slowly, and Wilbur nods, keeping a hold on him as he turns, looking.

Fundy is still over there, standing with Eret and Karl, but he looks over the moment Wilbur gestures for him, nodding once Wilbur has finished mouthing words, and Karl and Eret just look on in confusion. He makes the potion quick enough, bringing it over, and Wilbur carefully gets Dream to drink it, moving to a position where he can actually drink it.

Dream drinks it quickly, and he sighs once he’s done, eyes dropping to close once he’d done, and by the time Wilbur has moved them back to their position, Dream is asleep on top of him, and he finds that he can’t find it in himself to move from out under him.

“Is he okay?” Fundy speaks, for the first time to Wilbur that night, and Wilbur glances back to look at Dream, a smile on his face.

“Mostly.” He laughs softly, “And he will be, I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im on tumblr @thedreamsteam !!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did i write this chapter so that this fic would be the longest thing i ever wrote? totally not
> 
> uhhh i added all 11 of my 1917 fics to my account and with them on my account im vv close to 100k words in total on this account whoop

As Wilbur sits in the bed, his back resting against the wall, Dream lies next to him, arms wrapped around his stomach. It should be an uncomfortable position, for both of them, but it isn’t, and Wilbur just runs his fingers through Dream’s hair as the younger sleeps, face peaceful. It’s a rare look, something that Wilbur knows well enough. Karl’s asleep sitting on the floor, his head resting on Dream, and Wilbur can’t help but smile when he spies him again.

Eret’s resting against the wall, his eyes closed as he sleeps as well. A blanket has been thrown over him, courtesy of Fundy, he bets, and as he watches, Eret shifts underneath the fabric, grabbing it and moving until he’s comfortable once again. He smiles at the man, unaware of the smile directed at him, and shifts carefully in the bed, making sure to not wake up either of the men beside him.

He’s waiting, knowing the others are going to return soon, because he knows they won’t be able to stay away from an injured Dream for too long. (He knows this, because he, too, wouldn't be able to stay away if he knew Dream was injured. Hell, look at him! He’s the voluntary teddy bear for Dream, just because he’s injured.) At this moment in time, it’s just a matter of waiting for someone to come back in first.

He doesn’t have to wait long.

He hears the door open, but it’s soft, softer than usual, and as he watches, Sapnap and the others walk in carefully, quietly. Sap spies him first, and settles on the floor beside the bed, and carefully, everyone follows the same pattern, settling on the floor either beside this bed or the others, keeping in groups, quiet.

Nobody wants to leave Dream alone, Wilbur realizes, and his eyes catch Fundy’s as the man walks in, his tail swishing back and forth as he looks at everyone in the room, a sigh building in his chest. Everyone (at least, nearly everyone) looks back, and he lets the sigh go, shaking his head lightly.

“Just be quiet and don’t wake up the people already sleeping, alright?” He asks, and when everyone makes some noise of agreement, he drops his tail and walks further into the room, shuffling through the chests. 

Sap crosses his arms and rests them on the bed, resting his head on his hands, and Wilbur smiles when he sees that Sap is staring determinedly at Dream, watching his every move. George is sat beside him, resting his head on Sap’s shoulder, and as Wilbur watches, glancing over every few moments, George falls asleep on his shoulder.

“He’s okay, right?” Sap finally speaks a few moments later, right as Tommy cheers when he wins a game of Uno against Technoblade. Wilbur nods, and that’s enough for Sap, because he relaxes instantly, a sigh coming out. Before he can say anything else, Fundy taps his shoulder, and when he looks, the man’s holding a healing potion.

“You still haven’t healed yourself.” Fundy says in a quiet voice, and Wilbur shakes his head.

“I don’t need it.” He defends himself, but Fundy only stares at him with an expression with an expression he can’t place. “Really, Fundy, I swear, I don’t need it.”

“Drink the fucking potion, Wilbur.” He swears, and Wilbur’s eyes widen as Sap laughs. He can see out of the corner of his eye Technoblade glancing over, but he grumbles as he takes the potion from Fundy’s hand and sips from it. He nearly gags at the taste, but he only takes another sip before handing it back, ignoring Fundy’s raised eyebrow.

“Shut up.” He mutters, and Fundy grins.

“‘I don’t need it’, my ass.” He says, and Wilbur shoves at him, lightly. He’s tired, but he can feel it now, the effect of the potion coming into play now as he feels his eyelids getting heavy. He yawns without meaning to, and Sapnap’s eyes soften as he watches Wilbur trying to fight sleep.

“Just go to sleep, Wilbur. We’ll still be here.” He speaks softly, and Wilbur nods, slowly moving to lie down on the bed, moving Dream’s arms again once he’s finished.

It’s only a couple of minutes later that Wilbur’s completely asleep, his body relaxed, and Sap smiles at the older man.

They’re okay, for now. Sapnap doesn’t know what the future will bring, he doesn’t know what the future holds, but he knows it’s going to be different than any of them expected.

But nothing can get worse, now, right?

Right?

(Later, he wakes up to Dream on the bed with Wilbur still asleep, and as George shifts on his shoulder and Dream grabs his hand in his sleep, he decides he won’t let the world get worse. It won’t, and he’ll fight for it to not be worse. He’ll make sure that a war doesn’t happen, he’ll make sure that everyone stops fighting.

Nobody seems to want to fight, anyways, and when he glances over and sees Tommy and Tubbo passed out beside Eret and Techno, the pink haired man’s cape resting across them, he realizes that nobody else really wants to fight, either. As he stares at Dream’s bandaged face and as he stares at Wilbur’s bandaged side and as he stares at George’s bandaged hand, he realizes that this war could’ve been over so much sooner.

But it’s over now, and as he relaxes and falls back asleep, he thinks that he’s ready for whatever will happen after this. For not knowing what’s going to happen, he’s a calm man, but with Dream and everyone else by his side, he finds that he’s ready.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> reminder im @thedreamsteam on tumblr!!!!
> 
> i usually post about when i'm gonna post chaps n stuff there so !!!


	5. alt ending - techno holds tommy and tubbo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a mess but whatever
> 
> have english in 8 minutes and dont have my laptop ready oops
> 
> i dont wanna have the chapter spoil what happens dkjfhg
> 
> ALSO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE N SHORT

The funeral was short.

Everybody who had been present was there, and none of them could act calm.

Techno stood by the grave, and Tommy and Tubbo huddled in his arms, both refusing to let go, needing some comfort. Wilbur stood beside them, a flower held in his hands, and his usual sweater seemed bleaker this morning than usual. George and Sapnap were standing in front, and George held Sapnap’s hand tight, as if he knew how much Sap needed to be grounded.

Nobody was quiet, and even a few tears were going down Techno’s face. The man couldn’t do anything, though. He could only hold Tommy and Techno.

Nobody wanted to speak, nobody wanted to say the words for Dream, (nobody wanted to acknowledge that he was dead), so nobody did. They just stood there, quiet, staring.

“I miss him,” Tubbo whispered quiet, and Techno’s hand tightened, just that little bit. 

“I know, Tubbo,” He said back just as quiet, ignoring the sad looks the others are giving them. “I miss him too.”

Tubbo turns to hug him, that moment, and he wraps his free arm around him and holds him close, doing the same when Tommy turns, too. The boys are silent, but he can feel their tears soaking his shirt, and he holds them quietly even as they cry. His cloak was unmoving this day, and it stayed close, resting over the boys, acting as a tiny shield, and when it had been a few minutes and they hadn’t stopped, he deemed it enough.

“Do you two need to leave?” He whispered, and when they nodded, pulling back, he gently pulled them away, as the others stayed, only glancing.

As he walked away with the two teens, his footsteps made less and less noise, until they were standing outside the entrance to Dream’s place, the one he made for them all. He got the boys inside and managed to get them to the living room before they stopped, settling on the floor together.

“He’s a bastard,” Tommy managed, wiping his face with a hand, and Techno pulled him close as the boy started to sob. “Why’d he have to fucking die, Techno? Why did he have to die once we’d saved him?”

“I don’t know, Tommy.” He says, and when he sees Tubbo sitting beside them, alone, he gestures for the boy to join them, wrapping an arm around him when he’s joined. “The universe is just fucked up.”

“Why did they have to kill him, then? Why did they let Schlatt kill Dream before we could stop him?” Tubbo cried these words and hid his face in Techno’s shoulder, but Techno had no answer.

He could only hold them as they cried, and ignored the tears going down his own face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @thedreamsteam on tumblr yell at me


	6. oneshot - dream has nightmares & wilbur comforts him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol will mark as complete for now but will possibly come back to this

They always started the same.

He would wake up in the fucking cell, with rope wrapped around his wrists. His ankles would be shackled to the wall, and his clothes would be torn up, leaving him in a thin t-shirt as he shivered in the cold air.

The blood would always start from his right wrist, and then from the left, and then after that, they would change.

Some nights, Schlatt would come in with a knife and give him a tally for everything he had wrong. In others, George would come in with a grin on his face, and he wouldn’t stop telling him how glad he is to watch him get executed.

They’re all horrible, every single option bad, but tonight was one of the worse ones.

In this dream, he had managed to escape, and he was running through the forest, the sounds of people crashing in the grass behind him. He could hear them, and when they got closer, when he was sure that they could reach out and touch him, he moved faster, no matter the pain.

His blood left a path, but he didn’t stop moving, couldn’t stop moving. He didn’t want to die, not tonight, so he ran, panting as he tried to get away.

He nearly did, too, until the sound of a crossbow went off and the arrow landed in his back.

He dropped to the ground, and the pain filled his body quicker than any potion could, warming him up and cooling him down. It was a fiery feeling, and he wanted to desperately get up and move, but he knew that he couldn’t, not in this moment.

The sounds of footsteps alerted him, and he didn’t get any time to breathe before the arrow was forced further into his body, pushed deeper, and the screams from his mouth were loud, louder than he would’ve thought.

“Dream!” He hears, and when he opens his eyes (when did he close them?), it’s to Wilbur’s worried face. “Are you alright?”

He doesn’t answer his question, and only rushes forward to bury his face into Wilbur’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around him as a sob builds in his throat. He can feel Wilbur’s surprise, but the man doesn’t comment on it. He only wraps his arms around Dream, and holds him in his bed. He grounds him, and Dream is thankful for this.

Wilbur doesn’t let go of Dream, only keeps holding him, even as he falls asleep in his arms. He only stays, keeping his arms wrapped around him, and when the others come in, he quiets them. They follow his words, and they stay silent as Dream sleeps in his arms.

“Is he okay?” George asks, a moment later, and Wilbur runs his fingers through Dream’s hair quietly.

“I don’t know.” He finally answers, and they all know this to be true. None of them know if he’s okay or not, and they have to settle with this for now.

Slowly, they all leave one by one, until it is just Karl and Wilbur left, and Karl ruffles Dream’s hair softly. 

“I hope he’s okay.” He says quietly, and though he’s more saying this to himself than anything else, Wilbur still smiles at him sadly. He leaves soon after that, and then it’s just Wilbur and Dream, left alone in his room.

 _The sad duo_ , Wilbur thinks, this makes him smile, if only a tiny bit. _Connected once again_.

He stays with Dream, moving them until they’re both sitting firmly on the bed, and he wraps his arms around him more firmly, keeping him still. It’s not long after moving their positions that he falls asleep again, Dream wrapped up in his arms, and when he wakes up some hours later, Dream’s buried himself further into his chest.

He doesn’t say a word, and only smiles down at the man before shifting slightly, tightening his arms.

This reminds him of when they had discovered who the other was (or really, when Wilbur had discovered who Dream was). Because, Wilbur had knocked Dream mask off his face and had held the sword to his chest, and Dream had looked up at him, his hair blowing in front of his face, and Wilbur had remembered.

He had remembered that this was the man he had known since they were kids, and he had stopped. He had realized he knew this man. He had realized he found the man who was basically a brother.

That night, he had fallen asleep with Dream, lying in his bed with the lights out and the wind blowing softly, and he had woken up just like this, except Dream wasn’t having a nightmare, and they hadn’t just defeated the man who had wanted them dead. They were just lying together, peaceful for one day. They were just being together once again, close as brothers.

Dream groaned in his grasp, and he focused on him again, coming back to the present slowly. He waited for the blonde to speak, waiting for his words, but the man never does. He only settles into his chest once again, falling back asleep.

He laughs, quietly, and gently pushes at Dream.

“No,” The man groans again, holding onto Wilbur even tighter as Wilbur tries to separate from him. “Don’t wanna get up.”

“Dude, we need to.” Wilbur smiles, but Dream shakes his head.

“A little longer, please?” He asks, and when he looks up at Wilbur with his puppy dog eyes, Wilbur knows he's screwed.

“You’re a bastard.” He tells Dream, and the blonde just settles against him.

They stay in the silence for a few minutes, and Wilbur’s nearly fallen asleep himself when a thought comes to mind, and he speaks without thinking, asking Dream a question.

“Are you okay?” He asks, and when he feels Dream’s confused huff, he clarifies. “Because of the nightmare, I mean. You can talk about it, if you want.” He tries to offer, and Dream just breathes beside him.

“I’ll tell you later.” He says eventually, and Wilbur accepts this.

They fall asleep in the silence of the room, and Wilbur decides that this is good enough, for now.

(And if he wakes up to a picture of him and Dream sleeping settled on the nightstand beside him, he won’t say anything.)

**Author's Note:**

> im @billyloomls on tumblr oops if u wanna come see me :)
> 
> i have no clue when the second chapter will be out bc school but!!! hopefully it'll be out within the next week
> 
> also comments fuel me :flushed:


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